Dare to Dream, Dare to be Noticed
by PenonPaperFingersonKeys
Summary: James Potter would never notice Crazy Lariat and she didn't mind. She just let life pass her and observed how Lily wanted true love, how Rose and Scorpius were sneaking behind their parents backs and how she was slowly falling in love with James Potter.


**Dare to Dream and Dare to be Noticed:**

_**A/N:** Me, starting another story? At the same time that BTWLEAJP is going on? Isn't that a little daring...? For those three questions all yes, with the additional -I'm a stupid idiot, I'm a stupid idiot, I'm a stupid idiot. With this story though, I'll probably just update once a month or two. DON'T EXPECT REGULAR POSTINGS PEOPLE! I do like this idea yes, and depending on the reception I may continue it. The first part of Chapter 2 is down...Oh well, on with the story._

_PenonPaperFingersonKeys_

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Hogwarts was Lariat's favourite place in the world. Bar the taunts received from peers, Lariat felt at peace and comfortable. She guessed it was because of the beautiful isolation of Hogwarts or the antiquity, but truthfully she would never be able to place a finger on why it was so important to her. She had not received any happy memories there, or friends.

For someone who did not know Lariet this would have been a shock but someone who did; not so much. She was considered weird. Maybe it was because of what she found interesting –the tapestries, which she could be found examining over Hogwarts, the fact that she could see Thestrals, or maybe how she often liked to do things on 'impulse'. She wasn't necessarily _Loony Lovegood_ weird, who she had heard about from Professor Longbottom and met once, but was a weird that had people skittering away from her and giving her funny stares.

Lariat never found this to be a bother though. She couldn't really find herself interested in others people's opinions and was far more concerned with finishing her 'projects' as the students at Hogwarts had referred to them by. She couldn't be the least interested in boys until...

* * *

Lariat first noticed James Potter, son of the famous Harry Potter, at the end of fifth year. Of course she had _noticed_ him before –it was hard to miss the prankster master mind and son of a legend- but never like this.

She had been dragging her trunk to the floo networks when she ran into a rather solid figure. Looking up her eyes widened ever so slightly. "Oh, lord...You're Harry Potter! I found your tapestry at Hogwarts. It's on the third floor in the charms corridor." The middle aged mans eyebrows creased fractionally and he seemed to be pondering on whether to run or stay.

"Uh...Hello, Miss...?" He obviously elected the latter. Smiling warmly he encouraged her for her name.

"My name is Lariat Bolston, sir." She paused fractionally before smiling widely adding the rather irrelevant fact: "I'm a Muggle-born."

Harry Potter smiled. She looked odd he decided, in her rainbow striped socks and long purple dress with her orange hair in pigtails, but in a nice sort of way. "Do you need any help?" Lariats answer was cut short though –but it was expected to be a yes- by a group of students so alike yet so different, making their way to Harry.

Harry spun around quickly. "Lily! Hugo! James! Rose! Albus! Fred! Roxanne! Rose!" As he listed off the names and greeted each with a smile Lariat felt the beginnings of dread fixate in her stomach. Knowing their reputation and her rather infamous one she could tell this wasn't going to be good.

"Dad!" A girl who she recognized as third year Lily Potter, flung herself into Harry's arms beaming. No one had noticed her yet and Lariat stood patiently waiting for the recognition and the subtly mean comments that were sure to follow.

And they did follow, yet a bit blunter than she had expected. Fred noticed her first. "What are you doing with Crazy Lariat?" He asked with distaste. Harry's eyebrows rose and he put down Lily on the ground who joined the teenagers quickly and silently.

Although the question had been directed at Harry, Lariat answered. "Well, I was walking to the floos, you see my mother doesn't really think it necessary to pick me up, and I ran into Mr Potter, here. It was quite silly of me, I was in my own little world but it was rather good. Harry Potter! Yes, but I'm sure you-"

"Shut up, Crazy. We don't care," Albus snapped. There was a crowd surrounding them, Lariat realised and she suddenly felt dizzy as they laughed.

But, like always, she appeared outwardly unaffected and smiled at Albus who sneered back. "Thank you, Albus. I probably would have got into a rant there, as always." Her laugh was a notch too shrill to be natural.

"Again," Hugo said nastily, "Do we care?"

Lariat smiled warmly, not forced this time. She knew how peer pressure worked; Hugo was just saying these things because he thought he had to. After all, he was only in third year. "Ah, of course not Hugo, no one really does. But sometimes it's nice to get things off your chest..." She trailed off at the laughs from the surrounding students.

"Uh...I better get going." She said. Trying to move too quickly she stumbled and fell clumsily over her trunk much to the amusement of the crowd. But suddenly there was a pair of firm hands helping her up. Looking up, she smiled at Harry Potter and at the crowd. "Thank you, Mr Potter. That was rather clumsy of me, wasn't it?"

Harry smiled and looked coolly at his family members before saying slowly, "Yes, Lariat. Just a bit. But that' no excuse for anyone to laugh at you." The laughs stopped and people looked to the ground ashamed.

James Potter stepped forward. "Dad! What's wrong with laughing?"

He was brave, Lariat thought, as Harry Potter's demeanour got colder and the rest of the family looked worried. With surprise and excitement Lariat recognized Hermione and Ron Weasley in the crowd looking faintly disappointed. "James Potter," Harry, said slowly and threateningly, "Do you even know Lariat?"

"Do you?" James shot back, quickly.

"I know enough to see that you bully her and she smiles back at you! She reasons for you in her head!" Harry's anger turned to disappointment. "I should know about bullying, James; about mistreatment."

James' anger disappeared just as quickly and he looked down the floor, abashed, but not before sending a glare to Lariat, their eyes connecting.

And she felt the world stop.

The family hurried off soon after, the adults farewelling her, the teenagers blatantly ignoring her. But Lariat couldn't do anything but smile goofily. Because those hazel eyes, they reminded her of her favourite tapestry.

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_How did you like it? Any ways to improve the story/grammar/characters. What about Lariat? Please leave me a review!_


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